Journal of Aquaculture and Fish Health Vol.

9(1) - February 2020

DOI : 10.20473/jafh.v9i1. 15915

Formaldehide Content in White Shrimp After Formalin Soaking

with Different Doses

Okky Hermawan1*, Ahmad Taufiq Mukti2 and M. Yasin3

1
Fisheries and Marine Biotechnology Study Program, Faculty of Fisheries and Marine, Airlangga
University, Surabaya
2
Department of Fish Health Management and Aquaculture, Faculty of Fisheries and Marine,
Airlangga University, Surabaya
3
Department of Physics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Airlangga University

*Correspondence :
okkyhermawan2192@gmail.com
Received : 2019-11-01
Accepted : 2019-12-17
Keywords :
White shrimp, Preservation,
Formaldehyde, UV-Vis
spectrophotometry
Abstract
White shrimp is one of the leading export commodities in
Indonesia. White shrimp is also one of the high perishable
fishery commodity products. Because of that, it requires a
process to minimize spoilage. Preservation is one way to
reduce decay. The idea that is often used to maintain quality
or preserve a fishery product is to use ice cubes. However,
many business people consider it impractical, and the price is
relatively high, eventually using formalin for the preservation
process. The use of formalin in food can be harmful to humans
if exposed to more than the threshold. Besides, the use of
formaldehyde as a preservative in food is also not allowed,
both domestic and foreign regulations. This study aims to
determine the formaldehyde content of white shrimp after
being soaked in formalin with different dosages. The
formaldehyde detection was carried out in Health Laboratory
Center (BBLK), Surabaya, using UV-Vis spectrophotometry.
From the research, it was obtained the results of a linear
function, the higher concentration of formalin given, then
higher formaldehyde contained in white shrimp with the most
top result of 430.2 ppm in 5% soaking treatment for one hour.

INTRODUCTION
Shrimp is one of the leading export
commodities in Indonesia. White shrimp
needs in the international market are
dominated by products in fresh form and
meet export quality standards but are still
difficult to be fulfilled. One type of shrimp
that develops in Indonesia, which has
export quality, is white shrimp
(Litopenaeus vannamei). White shrimp
(Litopenaeus vannamei) is a kind of
crustacean commodity originating from
Latin America. This shrimp is widely
spread from the southern part of Peru to
northern Mexico. In 2001, white shrimp
was released in Indonesia. In addition to
tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon) and
banana prawn (Penaeus merguiensis),
white shrimp is an alternative commodity
of shrimp that has high economic value
and easily cultivated in Indonesia
(Purnamasari et al., 2017).
White shrimp is a highly perishable
fishery product. This can be seen in the
quality of shrimp meat when wrongly
handled in the post-harvest. Shrimp will
experience damage accompanied by the
establishment of toxic compounds. There
is a process to minimize the damage by
using a preservation process (Tuyu et al.,
2014). In the process of preserving

Hermawan et al. (2020) 69

 Journal of Aquaculture and Fish Health Vol. 9(1) - February 2020
shrimp, generally using ice cubes, but the
use of ice cubes is considered impractical
and relatively expensive. This has caused
some businessmen to use hazardous
chemicals; one of them is formaldehyde
(Suryadi and Kurniadi, 2014).
Formalin is still used to preserve
food, especially fishery products, and is
evenly spread in the community.
Therefore the government makes a policy
to prohibit it. Prohibition of the use of
formalin in food has been regulated in
Permenkes RI No.1168/Menkes/Per/X/
1999. The regulation explains that
formaldehyde (formalin) is one of the
additives which is prohibited from being
used in food. International laws also
regulate the ban on the use of
formaldehyde, which is, according to the
IPCS (International Program on Chemical
Safety), is a specialized institution about
the safety of chemical use. Formalin has a
safe threshold in the body by 1 milligram
per liter and can enter the body in the form
of food for adults is 1.5 mg to 14 mg per
day (Jannah et al., 2014).
Formalin is a chemical that only
used as a preservative of dead bodies,
disinfectants, insecticides, and also often
used in the textile industry. If formalin is
used in food, it can cause acute and
chronic effects. Acute and chronic effects
that can interfere with the respiratory
tract, digestive tract, headaches,
hypertension (high blood pressure),
convulsions, to the most severe, can cause
consumers to be unconscious or comatose.
Other acute effects can damage organs in
the human body, namely the liver, heart,
brain, spleen, pancreas, nervous system,
central and kidney. If formalin is
consumed sustainably and chronically, it
can cause cancer (Zakaria et al., 2014).
Formalin is a formaldehyde
compound in water with an average
concentration of 37% and 15% methanol,
and the rest is water. Formaldehyde has a
tendency that is very soluble in water.
Formalin will be easily absorbed in fish
meat if given to fish. Formalin has a
volatile character because it has a boiling
point of 21°C. Formalin also has very
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DOI : 10.20473/jafh.v9i1. 15915
reactive in an alkaline atmosphere and is
a potent reducing agent (Hastuti, 2010).
Lack of knowledge about formalin and the
negative impact of its use in food is one of
the causes of still widespread use of this
ingredient in cooking. The low price of
formalin and ease of getting it on the
market has caused the level of awareness
to the danger of formalin by fishery
product processing entrepreneurs
decreased (Adisasmita et al., 2017).
Formalin contained in a fishery
commodity can be tested through two
methods, namely qualitatively and
quantitatively. The qualitative approach is
seen based on the presence or absence of
formaldehyde content in a product, while
the quantitative method can see what the
value of formaldehyde content in a
commodity is. This study aims to
determine the content of formaldehyde
contained in white shrimps after given
formalin soaking treatment with different
doses.
METHODOLOGY
Place and Time
This research was conducted in
March-September 2019. Sample
preparation and testing of formaldehyde
levels in white shrimp took place at the
sensor and optical fiber development
laboratory, physics department, faculty of
science and technology, Airlangga
University, Surabaya. Formaldehyde
testing using UV-Vis spectrophotometry
was carried out in Health Laboratory
Center (BBLK), Surabaya.
Research Material
The equipment used in this research
included pipettes, 1000 ml measuring
flasks, Erlenmeyer, jerry cans to make
formalin dilution, scales for weighing
animal tests, styrofoam for shrimp
transportation, plastic containers for
soaking animal tests in formalin solution
and fishnet for catching shrimp. The
materials used in this study were 37%
formalin, distilled water as a solvent, and
white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei).
70 Hermawan et al. (2020)
 Journal of Aquaculture and Fish Health Vol. 9(1) - February 2020
DOI : 10.20473/jafh.v9i1. 15915

Research Design in jerry cans and labeled according to the

This is experimental research in a
laboratory. Animal samples used in this
study were white shrimp (Litopenaeus
vannamei) that had been soaked in
formalin solution. The parameters in this
study were the levels of formalin
contained in white shrimp. This study
aimed to determine the residual formalin
in white shrimp after being soaked using
formalin solution at different dosages,
between 1%, 2%, 3%, 4%, and 5% for one
hour long.
Determination of the soaking time is
based on research by Sanger and
Montolalu (2008) as well as Purawisastra
and Sahara (2011). Sanger and Montolalu
(2008) conducted research on skipjack
tuna soaked in formalin by 2% and 4% for
1 hour, and the results of the study found
the results of formaldehyde on skipjack
tuna soaked for 1 hour at a dose of 2% was
0.0307% and with a treatment of 4% is
0.0397%.
Work Procedures
The research procedure in this study
first prepares a solution of formalin.
Preparation of formalin standard solution
using a 1000 ml measuring flask. 37%
concentrated solution of formalin was put
in a measuring flask with different sizes.
Dissolve it using the dilution formula V1.
N1 = V2. N2, so to obtain the
concentration of 1% formalin in the
volume of 1,000 ml, 37% formalin or
27.02 ml is needed. The amount is then
multiplied for other treatments up to 5%.
The diluted solution is then put and stored
concentration and volume of
formaldehyde in jerry cans and stored in a
cool place.
The second step is to prepare the test
animals. The selection of test animals
based on their weight measurements and
then recorded. White shrimp have
weighed as much as 250 gr for each
treatment. Formalin solution that has been
made poured into a container containing
250 grams of white shrimp. White shrimp
were soaked in distilled water as a control,
formalin solution with different dosages of
1%, 2%, 3%, 4%, and 5%. The shrimp are
soaked for one hour. After one hour of
soaking, the waste solution in the form of
distilled water and formalin is removed,
and the sample can be sent to Health
Laboratory Center (BBLK) for quantitative
testing using UV-Vis spectrophotometry.
Data Analysis
The data obtained was in the form of
a linear graph about data of formalin
content in white shrimp after soaking for
one hour with different concentrations.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Soaked shrimp in formalin with
different concentrations were also
measured using UV-Vis
spectrophotometry. This is done to
determine the concentration level
absorbed by white shrimp if soaking with
varying doses at the same time as an hour.
This test uses a wavelength of 415 nm to
get the expected results in Table 1.

Table 1. Result of UV-Vis spectrophotometry test.

Formalin concentration (%) Study sample results (ppm)
0 <LoD 0.01
1 <LoD 0.01
2 141.9
3 278.4
4 384.4
5 430.2

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 Journal of Aquaculture and Fish Health Vol. 9(1) - February 2020
That graph image describes UV-Vis
spectrophotometry test in white shrimp
shows the higher the dose given. It is
directly proportional to the higher
Figure 1. Formalin concentration graph in white shrimp uses UV-Vis spectrophotometry
test.
The results of research conducted on
white shrimp using UV-Vis
spectrophotometry gave different results
from each treatment. The higher the
concentration of formalin used to soak
white shrimp, the higher the content of
formaldehyde contained in shrimp. This is
due to the osmosis process. The difference
in osmotic pressure between the meat cell
liquid and the soaking solution, formalin,
causes the transfer of formalin molecules
into shrimp meat so that formalin will
diffuse and dissolve into the shrimp and
cause shrimp to contain formalin. Osmosis
is an event where water moves from a high
concentration place to a low concentration
place. If osmosis occurs, then fluid from
outside the cell will enter the cell
(Febrinawati, 2017).
The formaldehyde content in fish
and shrimp can cause a decrease in meat
shrimp quality and, if consumed by
humans, can be dangerous. Decreased
shrimp quality is characterized by protein
damage caused by formaldehyde.
Formaldehyde has the ability to modify or
denature a protein and nucleic acid
through an alkylation process between the
-NH2 and -OH groups of proteins and
nucleic acids with the hydroxymethyl
group from formaldehyde to form
methylene compounds (-NCHOH), so that
protein content in the shrimp will be
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DOI : 10.20473/jafh.v9i1. 15915
formalin contained in white shrimp also
can be detected. The graphic image can be
seen in Figure 1 below.
reduced. The more formaldehyde used,
the more protein is bound (Wikanta et al.,
2011).
Formalin is a compound that can be
used as a preservative but is very
dangerous if used beyond the threshold.
Formalin can function to inhibit the
growth of microbes so that fish become
more durable. Formalin can suppress the
growth of spoilage bacteria but provides
the destruction process of fish protein.
Proximate test results showed that tilapia
meat soaked in formalin 1% contained
lower protein (16.13%) compared to
tilapia meat soaked with seaweed extract
solution. Formalin can inactivate protein
either by condensing free amino acids in
the protein into another form, so bacterial
growth is inhibited. Formalin destroys
amine protein groups in fish as a bacterial
growth medium so that bacterial growth is
inhibited (Tjahyaningsih et al., 2013).-
NH2 and -OH groups of proteins and
nucleic acids with the hydroxymethyl
group from formaldehyde to form
methylene compounds (-NCHOH) so that
protein content in the shrimp will be
reduced. The more formaldehyde used,
the more protein is bound (Wikanta et al.,
2011).
Formalin is a compound that can be
used as a preservative but is very
dangerous if used beyond the threshold.
72 Hermawan et al. (2020)
 Journal of Aquaculture and Fish Health Vol. 9(1) - February 2020
Formalin can function to inhibit the
growth of microbes so that fish become
more durable. Formalin can suppress the
growth of spoilage bacteria but provides
the destruction process of fish protein.
Proximate test results showed that tilapia
meat soaked in formalin 1% contained
lower protein (16.13%) compared to
tilapia meat soaked with seaweed extract
solution. Formalin can inactivate protein
either by condensing free amino acids in
the protein into another form, so bacterial
growth is inhibited. Formalin destroys
amine protein groups in fish as a bacterial
growth medium so that bacterial growth is
inhibited (Tjahyaningsih et al., 2013).
CONCLUSION
Based on the result, it can be
concluded that the detection of formalin
using UV-Vis spectrophotometry showed
the higher concentration of formalin
given, the higher the formaldehyde
contained in white shrimp and got the
highest result of 430.2 ppm in the 5%
soaking treatment for one hour.
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